The Papermaking Workshop, Volume 1: Handmade Paper from Plants and Recycled Fibers with Catherine Nash

Hosted by artist and international papermaking instructor Catherine Nash, this tutorial introduces the fine art of making paper from recycled fibers and plants. Nash discusses the supplies and equipment necessary to get started, before explaining how to create "art" paper from “business” paper, specifically, junk mail, paper bags, and mat-boards. Nash also demonstrates how to construct papermaking screens, upgrade equipment for professional endeavors, add inclusions, lamination, embedding, and color and--most alluringly--make paper from plants. (Transforming a stack of gampi bark from a pile of dry shards into a textured, thin-yet-strong sheet of paper takes a lot of patience, but the result is fabulously cool.) I would have liked closer shots of the supplies and equipment, and advice on--for instance--what to do if the wet sheet you're placing on top of a bottom sheet doesn't line up exactly, or which plants fare better in regards to blending vs. beating pulp, but overall this production will be welcomed by beginners and seasoned practitioners alike. Also in the works is a second volume, which will cover advanced Western and Japanese sheet-forming techniques, contemporary studio practices, pulp painting, and other topics. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Glaser)